Governor of South Carolina
|
Mark Sanford, the 92nd and current Governor of South Carolina |
The
Governor of the State of South Carolina is the
head of state for the
State of South Carolina. Under the South Carolina Constitution, the Governor is also the
head of government, serving as the chief executive of the South Carolina
executive branch. The Governor is the
ex officio Commander-in-Chief of the South Carolina
National Guard when not called into
Federal use. The Governor's responsibilities include making yearly "State of the State" addresses to the
South Carolina General Assembly, submitting an executive budget and ensuring that state laws are enforced
The 92nd and current Governor of South Carolina is
Mark Sanford. His first term began in 2003 and will end in 2007.
There are three requirements set forth in Section 2 of Article IV of the South Carolina Constitution:
*Belief in the existence of the
Supreme Being.
*Be at least 30 years of age.
*
Citizen of the United States and a resident of South Carolina for 5 years preceding the day of election.
Gubernatorial elections are held every four years in
non-Presidential even-numbered years. The Governor of South Carolina is elected
directly by the voters of South Carolina. In the general election for Governor, the person having the highest number will be the Governor. In the event of a tie vote, the General Assembly meets as a combined body to elect the Governor from the candidates receiving the tie vote.
Under Section 4 in Article IV of the South Carolina Constitution, the Governor serves a four year term in office beginning at noon on the first Wednesday following the second Tuesday in January next after his election and ending at noon on the first Wednesday following the second Tuesday in January four years later. Section 3 of Article IV states that no person shall be elected Governor for more than two successive terms. It makes no reference to limits of the total number of terms held.
*Appoints directors to 14 cabinet agencies, but most appointments are shared with the General Assembly.
*Commander-in-Chief of the South Carolina
National Guard.
*Grants reprieves and commutes
death sentences to
life imprisonment.
*May call the General Assembly to an extra session.
*A general
veto and a
Line-item veto on budget bills.
If the Governor resigns, dies, fails to qualify, cannot perform duties or is removed from office, then the
Lieutenant Governor will become Governor. During impeachment or when the Governor is temporarily disabled or absent from office, then the Lieutenant Governor will have the powers of the Governor. The current chain of succession is:
If all three are unable to be Governor, then the
General Assembly will elect a new Governor.
"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I am duly qualified, according to the Constitution of this State, to exercise the duties of the office to which I have been elected, (or appointed), and that I will, to the best of my ability, discharge the duties thereof, and preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of this State and of the United States. So help me God."
The
Governor's Mansion, located at 800 Richland Street in
Columbia, on
Arsenal Hill, is the official residence of the Governor of South Carolina. It was built in
1855 and became the official residence of the Governor in
1868. The South Carolina Constitution in Section 20 of Article IV specifies that the Governor is to reside where the General Assembly convenes.
The South Carolina Constitution of
1776 specified for the Governor (known as the President) to be chosen by the
General Assembly. In
1778, the constitution was amended to change the title for the chief of the executive branch from President to Governor.
A new constitution was promulgated in
1865 following the capture of the state by the
Union Army in the
Civil War. It called for the
direct election of the Governor, but continued to limit the vote to
white males. On
October 18,
1865,
James Lawrence Orr was the first Governor of South Carolina to be elected by popular vote.
Following the state's failure to adopt the
14th Amendment to the United States Constitution, the
US Congress eliminated all offices of state government. A temporary
military government headed by
Edward Canby was set up until new elections were held after the writing of the Constitution of
1868. All male citizens above the age of 21, regardless of race, were given the right to vote and the Governor was allowed to be elected to two consecutive terms.
The election of
Ben Tillman in
1890 to Governor by the support of
agrarian reformers forced a new constitutional convention to be held. The constitution of
1895 instituted a poll tax and also required voters to pass a literacy test. It did increase the Governor's powers by granting a
line-item veto on the budget.
In
1926, an amendment to the constitution was passed that lengthened the Governor's term to 4 years, but prevented consecutive terms. Governor
Richard Riley pushed for an amendment to allow for two consecutive terms and it was passed by the voters in
1980.
*
List of Governors of South Carolina*
South Carolina Gubernatorial Election Results*
Official Governor of South Carolina home page*
South Carolina Constitution Article IV*
List of South Carolina Governors in Chronological Order*
The Governor: Powers, Practices, Roles and the South Carolina Experience
